Underlining that it cannot take action against LeT founder Hafeez Saeed in the absence of concrete proof, Pakistan on Thursday said that even the U.S. does not possess any evidence linking the Jamaat-ud-Dawah chief to terrorism.
Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said it was “strange” that the U.S. State Department had offered a bounty of millions of dollars for evidence and information against Saeed and his deputy, Abdul Rahman Makki.
The clarification about the bounty issued by the State Department spokesman made it clear that “even the U.S. does not possess evidence against the two individuals,” he said.
“We have clearly stated our position that there is no concrete evidence (against Saeed).
“Pakistan would prefer to have concrete evidence to initiate a legal process but in the absence of that, we cannot do anything,” Mr. Basit said during the weekly news briefing that was dominated by questions about the bounty for Saeed.
The U.S. has offered a reward of 10 million dollars for Saeed, the founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba that was blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and a bounty of two million dollars for Makki.
Pakistan on Wednesday sought from U.S. “concrete evidence” against the two men.
Mr. Basit refused to be drawn out on the purpose of the U.S. bounties and whether the move was aimed at influencing Pakistan’s ongoing parliamentary review of its relationship with the U.S
The review was ordered by the government after 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed in a cross-border NATO air strike last year.